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Local business leaders have donated more than $50,000 to help greater Cincinnati SCORE expand its social media efforts and attract more entrepreneurs to its small business counseling and workshop offerings.

Duke Energy; Western & Southern Financial Group; Huntington Bank; Montgomery Inn Boathouse; LaRosa Pizzeria; and American Financial Group, Inc. donated the funds to SCORE in honor of its work with small business owners and in acknowledgement of national SCORE’s 50th birthday this year.

“I feel my donation will enable them to better promote their free business mentoring services,” said Dean Gregory, co-owner of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse. "I have heard nothing but good things about SCORE, so it was an easy decision to help them out with a donation."

SCORE has approximately 100 retired or working executives who volunteered 10,850 hours last year to help 4,682 businesses.

Two SCORE clients received national praise in 2013 for their business successes: Dogtown of downtown Cincinnati was named “Woman-Owned Business of the Year” and Bad Girl Ventures of Cincinnati received “Nonprofit of the Year.”

The greater Cincinnati SCORE chapter was named first runner-up for national SCORE’s Chapter of the Year in 2013, and the greater Cincinnati district was named District of the Year in 2012.

“We feel our SCORE chapters is one of the best-kept secrets in the area and want to expand our reach through social media,” said Murphy.

“We have a wealth of information available for entrepreneurs,” said Parlin. “We offer free face-to-face and online mentoring services; a free business brief library; free seminars and webinars; and low-cost seminars.”

Greater Cincinnati SCORE serves new entrepreneurs and in-business owners generating less than $5 million in revenue in southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana.

For more information about greater Cincinnati SCORE, its counseling, team mentoring, and seminars and workshops, go to www.scoreworks.org or call (513) 684-2812.